Sign-displaying indicator.



H. G. FISHER. sum DISPLAYING. mmcuoa. APPLICATION 171L111) JULY 22, 1910. I

Patented June 13, 1911.

2 annsws axnm 1.

awwem lto c Ji. 612 597162 11; G. FISHER SIGN DISPLAYING INDIGATOB. Arrzixommn FILED 111L122, 1910.

-. Patented Jun 13,1911.

2 SHEETS-BEBE! 2.

UNITED s r HENRY G. FISHER, OF NEW DENVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

I sron-msrnarme INDICATOR.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HENRY G. F1srmr subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at New Denver, in the Province of Brit ish Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sign-Displaying Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to indicators and particularly to an indicator designed to d 1splay any one of certain words or sentences When actuated.

The object of the invention is to provide an indicator of this type adapted to be attached to any convenient support and having a display opening, and provided with place. I showing the position of the parts at one end means for displaying in the opening the words()ut, Disengaged or Engaged, as may be desired, a further object being to provide a device which is so constructed that after the word Out has been displayed, it will be positively moved away from the display opening upon an actuation of the apparatus to display either of the words Engaged or Disengaged.

My invention is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l. is a perspective view with the face plate removed of my improved indicator, the wiring thereof being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the indicator, the front plate being in Fig. 3 is a. diagrammatic end view of the indicator when the word Disengaged is displayed. 4C is a like view of the other end of the indicator at the same time. Fig. 5 is a like view to Fig.-

but showing the parts in the position taken when the word Engaged displayed. Fig. 6 is a like view to Fig. i but showing the parts in the position when the word Engaged is displayed. Fig. 7 is a like view to Figs. 3 and 5 but showing the position of the parts "when thcword Out displayed, and the words Engaged and Disengaged are completely hidden. Fig. 8 is a transverse section th ough the middle of the device, the parts being in the position to display the word Ellgngld Referring to these figures, 2 designates a casing of any suitable character, approximately square in section having a face plate rather larger than the casing adapted to be attached to any suitable support, as for instance the door of a room or otlice.

Specification of Letters latent. Patented June 123, 1911.

Application filed Ju1y'22,

1910; Serial No. 573,256.

This face plate is designated 3 and is provided with a display opening 4;.

Mounted interiorly of the casing 2 and. extending longitudinally thereof is the fixed axle 5 upon which the indicating members are mounted. There are two indicating member 6 being hollow and inclosing the inner member 7. These members are entirely independent of each other so that one will rotate exteriorly to the other. The outer member 6- has the form of a hollow cylinder, one-half of the cylinder being broken away as at 8, the end of the cylinder being closed by the circular end pieces 9. Preferably, this cylinder is made of very light material such as paper, cardboardor thin sheet metal, the end pieces 9 being relatively heavy to support the semicylindrical shell thus formed. Mounted upon the axle the second indicating member which consists of a cylinder closed at its ends by end pieces 10. This cylinder is preferably made of lightmaterial such as paper, cardboard or thin sheet metal which is braced or sup: ported in any suitable manner. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to any particular construction of the outer indicatingmember or the inner 'member, as it is obvious that these might be made in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The outer member 6 partially incloses the inner member 7 and. rotates aroundsaid inncr member so that when the outer member is in one of its rotated positions it wilLbe interposed between the opening i and the inner member so as to shut off a view of this form of my invention, provided with the word Out placed upon the shell 6 in such position as to be displayed through the sight opening 4.- when the outer member is in operative position. The inner member has placed upon its face the words Engaged and Disengaged, one above the other in such position as to be displayed through the sight opening when the inner member is rotated. It will be obvious that when the in nor member rotated to one position the word Engaged will be displayed, when rotated to the other position the word Disengaged 'will be shownl and that when the \members concentric to each other, the outer 5 interiorly of the semicylindrical shell 6 is' the inner member. The outer member is,'in

ends of this armature are located the eleeouter member is rotated neither of the words i or indications on the inner member will be respective inner and outer sign-carrying members, I have provided a plurality of eleetro-magnets which electrically engage armatures loose on the shaft 5, which when the magnets are energized are rotated on the shaft in one or the other direction and rotate the outer and inner indicating members in opposite directions.

As a means for actuating the outer rotatable member, I provide the armature 11, which armature has an eye which loosely surrounds the extremity of the shaft 5 and projects in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 3. Immediately beneath the opposite tro-magnets 12 and 13, the magnets being so placed that when one is energized one end. of the armature will be drawn downward and the other end will fiy up, and that a reverse action takes place when the other clectromagnet is energized. The adjacent end of the outer sign-displaying member 6 is formed with the transversely extending flange 14 which projects over the armature 11 in position to be engaged by one end or the other of the armature as the armature is rotated or is oscillated by the electro-magnets. This flange 14; acts as a stop'and when one end of the armature rises this end will engage the stop and turn the member (3 upon the shaft or axle 5. The shaft 5 at its end opposite the location of the armature 11 is provided with the armature 15. This arnia ture may be either rigidly fastened to the shaft 5 or rotatable thcrearound as'is the armature 11. If the indicating member 7 is fast upon the shaft then the armature 15 must be loose on the shaft. If, however, the indicating member 7 is loose on the shaft the armature may be fast thereon.- In other words, it is only necessary that the armature shall work independently of the member 7. The armature 15 extends in opposite directions in precisely the same manner previ- I ously described for the armature l1, and located beneath the ends or wings of the armature are the electro-magnets 1.6 and 17. W hen the magnet 16 is energized the ton wardly projecting end of the armature will be drawn down and the rearwardly extending end will be raised, and when the magnet 17 is energized the reverse movement takes place. 'lhe,cnd of the rotatable member 7 is provided with the transversely extending flange 18 which is of the same construction the flange 14 previously described, and whose opposite ends are adapted to be a1 tcrnately engaged by the opposite ends of the armature 15.

Each of the eiectro-Inagnetsis connected in circuit. with a battery or other source of t l l l I 'cal energy and with a push button or other circuit closing mechanism so that when the proper button is depressed the circuit will be closed through the battery and through one or another of the several magnets. The magnets 12 and 13 actuate the outer member 6 to oscillate it from its operative to its inoperative position, and the magnets 16 and l? operate the inner rotatable member. )A

common return wire from a battery is at-.

tached to the binding screw 19 from which a connection extends which is divided at 20 and passes to both of the electr'o-magnets l2 and 13. A feed wire for the magnet 12 passes outward to the binding post 21, from thence to a button 22 and thence to the battery, while a wire 23 extends from the magnet" 13 transversely through the casing and is connected at 24 with both of the magnets 16' and 17. A Wire from the battery is connected to the button 25, the binding post 26 and thence passes to the coil of the magnet 17. The wire from the magnet 17 is connected to the wire 23 leading to the magnet 13. A Wire from the battery also passes to the push button 27, thence to the binding post 28, and thence to the coil of the magnet 16, the current being carried by the wire 2% and the wire 23 to the electro-magnet l3, and thence back through the binding post- 10 to the battery.

It will be seen that three buttons are provided which when depressed will close the'circuit through any one of the electron'iugnets 12, 16 and 17, and that when either of the electro-ma gnets 16 or 17 are energized that the-electro-magnet 13 will also be energized. 'When the button 22 is depressed, the parts being in the position shown in Figs. 3 and e, the electro-magnet 12 iwilhbe energized. This will draw downward upon the forwardly projecting end of the armature 11, and the rear end of the armature will engage the flange or stop 14; so as to rotate the outer member 6 into such position that the word Out will be displayed through the opening at. \Vhen it is desired to hide the word Out and to display either. of the words Engaged or Disengaged either of the buttons or 27 are operated. It the button 27 is operated it will cause the forwardly projecting end of the arma lure 15 to be depressed, thus causing the rear end of the armature toengage the stop or flange 18 and thus rotating the member 7 so that the word Disengaged is shown through the opening. The closing of the circuit through the magnet 16 at the same time (ZlOSOri the circuit through the magnet' 13 and hencens the inner member is ro tatcd in one direction the outer member will be rotated in the IU\'(.'I. I0 direction so as to hide the word"()ut. It the push button is operated then the magnet LI will. be nergizcd drawing down the rra 'wardly ceases projecting end ofthe armature 15, Whereupon the forward end of the armature will engage the flange 18 androtate the inner member to such position that the .word Engaged will be displayed.

While I have shown my indicator as be- "ing applied'to the display of specific signs,

it Will of course be understood that the apparatus might be used for any analogous purpose without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that it would be quite possible to extend the principle of my invcution to the use of a plurality of rotatable sign-carrying members concentric with each other and each displaying a proper sign.

I do not Wish to be limited to the details of the construction as shown in the accompanying drawings as many modificatiims might be made without departing from the aforesaid principle.

Whatl claim is:

1. An indicator including an outer and an inner rotatably mounted sign'displaying member, one concentric to the other, and means for independently moving either member into position to display its sign and forautomatically moving the outer member out of such position upon a movement of the innefnneniber to said display position.

2. An indicator including a pluralityof rotatably mounted independently movable sign-("lisplaying members, a pair oil? electroinagnets operating each men'iber, one magnet of each pair when energized being adapted to move the member to 'a sign-displaying position and the other to a sign-concealing position, circuit closers for each magnet, a battery in circuit with the circuit closers and said magnets, and armatures actuated. by the clcctro-ma 'nets when energized and acting to rotate the signwlisplaying members into or out of their displayed position.

i 3. An indicator including a plurality of rotatably mounted independently movable sign-displaying members, a pair oi electromagnets for operating each member, circuit closers, a battery connected with the circuit closers and said magnets, arnu-il'urcs *ach pivoted at its middle, and means on. the signdisplaying members adapted to be engaged by the opposite ends of each armature, \vhcrcby when one or the other of the map nets is energized the arnmtui'e will be actuated to rotate the sign-displaying member.

4. An indicator including a, plurality of rotalably mounted imlepcndcntly movable sign-displaying members, a pair of electromargucts l'orcach member mounted on opposile sides of the pivotal axis of said incur her. a pivoted arumturolor each of the 2o tatable members, the opposite ends of the armature cacli extending over one oi. said magnets, means for energizing any one of said magnets, and stops projecting from the rotatable members cngagcable by the opposite ends of each armature, whereby when the armature is oscillated the corresponding sign-displaying member will be rotated in one or the other direction.

5. .i n indicator including a casing having a sight opening, a shaft passing lcngitudh nally through the casing, an inner rotatable member mounted upon the shaft, an outer rotatable member also mounted upon the shaft and concentric. to the inner ri'itatable member, said outer member having a portion of its face cutaway, a transi'crscly extending flange atone end, of the inner i'ncnibcr, a transversely extending flange on one end of the outer meml'ier, a pair of clect-ro-magnets for each of said members mounted one on each side of the shaft, circuit closers t'or controlling said clectro-magnets, a battery connected in cir cuit with the circuit closers and the map;- ncts, an armature for each of the rotatable members, each armature being mounted atits middle upon the shaft, the ends of each of the armaturcs being adapted to one," e

. v r, withv the transverse ii-aiige on the end ot the corresponding rotatable incn'iber, said armaturcs being mounted with their ends projecting over each or the corresponding magnets.

ti, An indicator including a longitudinally extending shaft, a cylindrical rotatable signdisplayingmember rotatably mounted on the shaft, a hpllow semicylmdrical rotatable mcmbe. also mounted on the shaft and partially surrounding the inner rota-table member, a pair of magnets disposed one on each side of the said shaft and located at the end of the outer rotatable member, an armature pivoted at its middle to said shaft, and haying its ends projecting over the poles of said magnets, a transversely.extending flange on the end of the outer member With which the ends of the armature engage when the armature is actuated by the electro-magnets, a pair of clectrounagnets mounted adjacent to the end of the inner rotatable member and one on each side of the axis thereof, an arnniturc pivotally mounted at its middle upon said shaft and having its opposite ends extending over said last named electromagnets, a transverse flange on the adjacent end of the rotatable member with which the ends of said armature engage when th in lg ncts are energized, a battery, a' conn n from the battery to both of the first na lied magnets, a push button, a connection ,rom said push button to one of said first .anied magnets,- a connection from the oth r maguct to'lbe pair oi said ast named a "'s, push buttons. counectirms from ach push button respectively to one ot said ast named 7. An indicator includii'ig onto] and inner rotatably mounted sign d splayin nien'ibcrs, one concentric lo the other, P1V ttl arroa- In testimony whereof I affix my. signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

HENRY G. FISHER.

tures, une for each of the sign-dispiayingl members, said armatm'es being oseiilatable, means for engaging the ill-matures with the sign-:lispiaying members, and elecbro-Inagnetlc means for osciliating said armatures to rotate $11G outer and inner members into 01- out of u dispinyed position.

[11.6.] Nita esses i i. W. MANSFIELD, G20. WILLIMISQN. 

